# US 2018/0320929 A1 · System and Method for Furnace Fluid Flow Management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320929 A1 - Document ID: US20180320929A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/973,245 - Filed: 2018-05-07 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-28 - Assignees: Trane International Inc. - Applicants: Trane International Inc. - Inventors: Andrew Hamilton Hanks; Zhaohui Gu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320929A1 ## CPC - F24H 9/16: Arrangements for water drainage - F24H 8/00: Fluid heaters characterised by means for extracting latent heat from flue gases by means of condensation - F28D 1/0461: {Combination of different types of heat exchanger, e.g. radiator combined with tube-and-shell heat exchanger; Arrangement of conduits for heat exchange between at least two media and for heat exchange between at least one medium and the large body of fluid} - F28D 1/0477: {the conduits being bent in a serpentine or zig-zag} - F28D 1/05316: {Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators (F28D1/05366 takes precedence)} - F28F 1/32: the means having portions engaging further tubular elements - Y02B 30/00: Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] - F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A furnace has a primary heat exchanger tube, a secondary heat exchanger comprising a plurality of secondary heat exchanger tubes, a hot header configured to provide a fluid flow path between an output of the primary heat exchanger tube to an input of the secondary heat exchanger, and a perforated fluid flow plate disposed at least partially within the hot header. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A furnace, comprising: a primary heat exchanger tube; a secondary heat exchanger comprising a plurality of secondary heat exchanger tubes; a hot header configured to provide a fluid flow path between an output of the primary heat exchanger tube to an input of the secondary heat exchanger; and a perforated fluid flow plate disposed at least partially within the hot header wherein the perforated fluid flow plate comprises an interior wall comprising: a first portion distanced from the secondary heat exchanger tubes, the first portion comprising a plurality of perforations that are misaligned relative to the secondary heat exchanger tubes; and a second portion abutting the secondary heat exchanger. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The furnace of claim 1, wherein the plurality of perforations are arranged to homogenize gaseous fluid flow through the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The furnace of claim 1, wherein the perforated fluid flow plate comprises a profile configured to minimize pooling of condensate within the hot header. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The furnace of claim 1, further comprising a seal configured to minimize pooling of condensate within the hot header. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The furnace of claim 1, further comprising a seal that extends over both the perforated fluid flow plate and a primary plate of the hot header. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The furnace of claim 5, wherein the primary plate of the hot header is associated with an output end of the primary heat exchanger tube. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The furnace of claim 6, further comprising a seal between a header plate of the secondary heat exchanger and the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The furnace of claim 7, further comprising a seal between the primary plate of the hot header and the header plate of the secondary heat exchanger. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The furnace of claim 1, further comprising a gasket disposed within the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The furnace of claim 9, wherein the gasket is configured to minimize pooling of condensate within a space bounded by the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 11 A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a primary heat exchanger tube; a secondary heat exchanger comprising a plurality of secondary heat exchanger tubes; a hot header configured to provide a fluid flow path between an output of the primary heat exchanger tube to an input of the secondary heat exchanger; a perforated fluid flow plate disposed at least partially within the hot header, wherein the perforated fluid flow plate comprises an interior wall comprising: a first portion distanced from the secondary heat exchanger tubes, the first portion comprising a plurality of perforations that are misaligned relative to the secondary heat exchanger tubes; and a second portion abutting the secondary heat exchanger; an inducer motor configured to draw fluids from the primary heat exchanger tube to the secondary heat exchanger; and a circulation blower configured to selectively cause circulation air to flow from contact with the secondary heat exchanger to contact with the primary heat exchanger tube. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The HVAC system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of perforations are arranged to homogenize gaseous fluid flow through the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The HVAC system of claim 11, wherein the perforated fluid flow plate comprises a profile configured to minimize pooling of condensate within the hot header. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The HVAC system of claim 11, further comprising a seal configured to minimize pooling of condensate within the hot header. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The HVAC system of claim 11, further comprising a seal that extends over both the perforated fluid flow plate and a primary plate of the hot header. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The HVAC system of claim 15, wherein the primary plate of the hot header is associated with an output end of the primary heat exchanger tube. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The HVAC system of claim 16, further comprising a seal between a header plate of the secondary heat exchanger and the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The HVAC system of claim 17, further comprising a seal between the primary plate of the hot header and the header plate of the secondary heat exchanger. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The HVAC system of claim 11, further comprising a gasket disposed within the perforated fluid flow plate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The HVAC system of claim 19, wherein the gasket is configured to minimize pooling of condensate within a space bounded by the perforated fluid flow plate.